My Brother's Keeper
by cmguysgirl
Summary: A talk between David and Erin the night before the wedding reveals hidden secrets and past misunderstandings. I marked this story as incomplete as maybe one day the characters will decide to visit this universe again. This story does talk about child abuse. I hope you enjoy.


**My Brother's Keeper**

Author: CMGUYSGIRL

Forum: You Give Me Fever: forum/You-Give-Me-Fever/120042/

Disclaimer: This is my first posted Criminal Minds Fic. It was not the first Criminal Minds story ideal but those are not ready yet. I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, Rossi and Strauss would be heating up the screen every week. Hot Stuff and His Babygirl would be setting off smoke alarms all around the FBI building. Morgan would definitely be shirtless a lot more and I would find a reason to touch his 6 pack. We would see a lot more "Family celebrations". There would be more romance on the Genius would always have long hair and showing off that incredibly cute smile he has had in the last two episodes and I would be surrounded by photos of me and all the Morgan, Reid, Hotch and Rossi. Oh and I'd be rich.

**My Brother's Keeper**

Rossi could hardly believe Erin Strauss had finally said yes and that they were engaged to be married. He realized one of the reasons his marriages broke apart was that he and his wives kept secrets from each other. He doesn't want that to happen this time so he tells her the night before the wedding, that Aaron Hotchner is his half brother. They have the same mother.

David continues to tell Erin that Hotch's mother met Rossi's widowed father while on a summer trip the year she graduated college. She was already back in the states when she found out she was carrying Aaron. Hotch's mother eventually wrote Rossi's father, but by that time he had married another woman, who he fell in love with at first sight. Hotch's mother had been dating one of her coworkers at the job she started three days after she got back from summer vacation, and she told him they she could no longer see him when she found out she was Pregnant (they had not slept together as she was still not quite over her fling with Rossi's father). He (The senior Hotchner) told her it didn't matter as she had told him even before she wrote Rossi's father that she knew that there could never be anything more between them as his life was in Italy and hers was in the States. Two months before Hotch was born, he convinced Aaron's mother to marry him in a civil ceremony. When she had the baby, she named him Aaron Alessandro Donato Hotchner. Aaron was for her grandfather, Alessandro (The Senior Hotchner's middle name) and Donato (Rossi's father's middle name). This is why Hotch didn't know the Sr. Hotchner wasn't his biological father as he grew up. He didn't exactly favor him but everyone always said he looked more like his mother's side of the family.

The week she brought Aaron home from the hospital, she wrote Rossi's father and sent him a picture of the baby and a copy of the Birth Certificate. He sent her a letter back that included a letter for his son on his 18th birthday and a check, for as much money as he could spare, to put away for the baby. In his letter to Hotch's mother, Rossi's father informed her he would abide by her wishes to not contact her or the child as she was remarried but told her if she even needed anything for her or the child, to just write him. He kept that promise for the most part.

What Aaron's mother and Rossi Sr's wife never knew was that the twice a year vacation The elder Rossi and his wife took the United States, were just an excuse for him to secretly watch his son grow up. This went on for the first twelve years of Aaron's life the senior Hotchner got a new job and the family moved away without leaving a forwarding address. David knew that was his brother, but he was never allowed to even go up and talk to him as he was the spitting image of his father and Rossi senior worried about Hotch's mother seeing them together and making the connection and thereby making it so he couldn't see the child.

How sad Erin responded and she held David a little tighter as she could see how deeply he was still affected by this.

He continued his story telling her about some of the happier memories he had of watching Aaron grow up. "I finally got to speak to him face to face for the first time when I was 15 and he was 10. He reached for her hand and held it tight as he told the next part. "I was at the park where Aaron and his friends went to play everyday during the summer. My father's new wife has insisted he accompany her to some function and so he wasn't there that day. Aaron and his friends were having a good time just messing a round. I sat on a swing that was a good distance away but where I could still see what was going on in the game. Aaron was actually pretty good at the game and had a terrific fast ball and slider" Rossi said with a smile. "Well next thing I know some older boys come over and start harassing Aaron and his friends. They started pushing and shoving the younger kids around and there was no way I was going to let anyone do that to my little brother, even If he didn't know we were brothers. I ran over and tried to break it up but after a moment it was obvious that wasn't going to work so I joined the melee. Let's just say that Aaron and I made a great team even back then and by the time we finished with them, I was pretty sure that they weren't going to mess with him and his friends again. He and his friends thanked me for my help when it was all over and he introduced himself to me as Aaron Hotchner, putting out a hand for me to shake. I told him my name was David but never told him my last name. I also told him Hotchner was too much of a mouthful to yell when someone called him and said, I think I will just call you Hotch instead. His friends latched and started to calling him Hotch. Unfortunately I had spoken before I thought it through and adolescent boys being adolescent boys did what they usually do, they started making all kinds of jokes about Hotch rhyming with Crotch". David hurried up and told Erin, "And no comments from the Peanut Gallery about that being my usual way of doing things". (Erin refrained from saying it, just barely but from the look on her face, when David turned to look at her, he could tell it was on the tip of her tongue.) He continued, "I didn't mean to embarass my little brother, I just wanted to give him nickname like I did with all my friends but I also wanted it to be something to remind me, that I had to keep the secret and not get 'too' close to my brother emotionally that afternoon. Shortening his last name was the perfect solution to me as it reminded me of the barrier, out parents, that stood between us. Aaron and his friends asked me to join in their game and I couldn't resist. I was on his team and we creamed the other side."

Erin smirked and said, "I guess you two were the boys of baseball before you were the bad boys of the BAU".

David turned slightly and kissed her on the nose and retorted, "'And don't you ever forget it'. Anyhow he began again, when it was time for me to leave to get back home, I shook slapped five with all of the guys and apologized to Aaron for giving him a nickname that had all the guys teasing him. He told me no sweat, he could handle it, I tell you Erin he had the Rossi Cockiness even back then, and then he thanked me once again for helping out with the older kids, as it was going to be bad enough explaining to his parents how he got the shiner, but at least he didn't have to go home and explain being beaten to a bloody pulp. I ruffled his hair and told him, us cool guys have to stick together, it was sort of like a brotherhood, and that meant we had an obligation to take action when we saw someone picking on someone who was smaller than them or who couldn't defend themselves. I tell you Erin, at that moment, it was just a load of BS, I was spouting as I had to have an excuse for just coming out of the blue and helping them, but when Aaron first joined the FBI, and then the BAU, I always sort of took pride, thinking that maybe what I said to him that day, influenced him into being the honorable and upstanding man he is today. "

"It was only after I walked out of the park that his words about explaining to his folks about his shiner played in my mind. Holy Crap I swore, as it had just dawned on me, I was going to have to explain my bruises and how I got them to my dad and I knew without a doubt he would be mad. Not that I had helped Aaron but that my actions had jeopardized our future chances of seeing him without it coming out who we were and it getting back to his parents." "My dad was upset but not as much as I thought he would be. In fact he was melancholy that we couldn't grow up as brothers and be there to watch out for each other all the time. He told me he was proud of me and that even though he wasn't happy that it would be more of a risk to try to see Aaron now, he would have been very disappointed if I had just stood by and watched my own flesh and blood get hurt without lifting a finger to help. The next day my dad and I went back to the park but we made sure to stay far enough away that neither Aaron nor his friends would see us. They day after, we returned back home to New Jersey, were we had moved to when I was 8 years old.

Erin sat quietly just listening to David tell his story. She knew he needed to get his whole 'confession' out before she said anything or he would probably clam up on the rest of the story and then they would start their marriage with an unbearable tension as they would both feel uncomfortable about what he was keeping from her.

It was a while before Rossi began to speak again but she knew before he opened his mouth to say a word that he was going to as she felt his body tense. After Hotch's family moved away, My father and I didn't see him for years. My father hired detectives a couple times but by the time we found out where they were living in another state, Hotch's family had moved overseas. My father moved back to Italy and I stayed in Jersey. The detectives finally got a lead on where they had been living but by that time Aaron and his family were back in the states. Aaron was 15 now and the reason they moved back is that his father lost his job. It seems the owners were embezzling funds and the business went bankrupt. Now Dave moved out of her arms and turned to look at her fully as he not only needed to stress how important the next words he said to her were, but he also needed to know that she wouldn't betray the confidence he was about to confide in her. In his heart, he knew she would never do that to him. He knew that she loved him, they loved each other too much for her to do that to him, but his brain, kept reminding him how hurt he had been in the past by women he loved, including her, although truthfully he was probably more at fault for their breakup all those years ago than she was. He felt really bad that she would probably think she didn't trust him after they had worked so hard these last ten years, as they were dating before he even came back to the Bureau, but while he would trust her to take his secrets to the grave, this wasn't exactly his secret he was putting on the line.

"Erin I love you very much and I hope what I am going to ask of you next, won't change how you feel about me, or stop you from marrying me tomorrow. I know you already promised me that you wouldn't use anything I tell you today against Aaron at work, but now I need to ask you to give me your word on one more thing. I need you to promise me you won't divulge to anyone what I am about to tell you next, not even Aaron, especially not Aaron."

Seeing the look in David's eyes, let her know that whatever secret he was about to disclose next, was going to be bad. Oh she would make him that promise as she loved him to much to ever betray him. They'd gone through too much to get it right this time around and after being together all these years, she knew, she could no longer live her life without him. Erin Strauss could read David Rossi better than he though she could, and it had nothing to do with the Profile classes she took years ago after Agent Morgan called her on not known the first rule of Profiling. It came from hard earned experience of building a relationship from the ground up (for the last 10 years) ensuring it was built on a solid foundation, so the walls wouldn't crumble at the slightest strong wind. She could see how afraid he was that asking her to make another promise would tell her he didn't trust her and that she would not react as Erin (a woman who loves him and knows he has the failings of a human heart) but as Strauss (a woman who when hurt reacts like a wounded animal and inflicts pain on those who are trying to help her take care of her wounds). She brought her hand to his cheek and softly kissed him on his lips, before she spoke. "My dear darling man, Haven't you realized how much I love you by now? I would never knowingly betray you or allow anyone else to if it was within my power to stop them. What ever promises you need me to make tonight to reassure you so you can unburden your sole, know that I make them freely and gladly, just as tomorrow when we stand up in front of God, our family and friends, I will make my vows to you freely, knowing that nothing you say or do is intended to hurt me. I know that the reason you are asking me to make this promise to you tonight is not that you don't trust me, but that you feel honor bound to protect your friend, well I guess I should say your brother, Aaron". She could see the wheels turning in his head and knew he was about to interrupt, so she said, "And before you say anything, I know that still is and still has to remain a secret. While I can't promise you I am going to like what you say to me next, I can promise you I will not tell anyone I know, including Aaron".

The next words out of his mouth shocked Erin to her core. Not that it was something she had never heard about other people before, but usually when something like that happened to a person, it ended up breaking, but the Aaron Hotchner she knew was one of the strongest persons she knew. Just look at all Foyet put him through. Not only did he stab the man, but he shot the man's ex-wife and the mother of his child while he was on the phone with her. Most people would have lost their minds after something like that, but not only had Agent Hotchner retained all of his mental factors, but he became and even better agent after that and was turning about to be a great single father who had help his son stay emotionally well adjusted after living through the nightmare of being on the run with his mother and losing her so violently at such a tender age.

She had been prepared for David to say all most anything about the man, except what he told her, 'that Aaron's father that raised him beat him and his mother mercilessly after he lost him job and started drinking. David told her that from the time he was 14 until Aaron left home at 17 to college, his 'father' beat him daily. Erin was already feeling sick to her stomach wondering, as she always did when she heard horrible stories of abuse, how some one could do that to a child. She knew she was a recovering alcoholic, but thank God, she had never sunk so far as that. She was so involved in trying not to her inner thoughts while trying to keep from loosing the contents of her stomach, that she almost missed what David said next. It was the most horrific part of the whole tale. When Aaron went away to college, he had a full scholarship, but he immediately started working to make money, to get enough to get his mother away from the Sr. Hotchner. Even though his 'father had found a great job again, something in him had like the power he felt when he beat his wife and son into submission.

Unbeknown to Aaron, at the time, when he moved out, the beatings got worse. His mother was afraid to go to the police as he had convinced her that no one would believe her and even if they did, when he got out, he'd kill Aaron. Hotch worked himself into the ground in his haste earn enough money to get his mother away from the evilness of the man she had married. He had hated leaving her in that house by herself, but he had no choice if he was going to be able to get her out of the nightmare she was living. It took him all semester of working two full time jobs along with his full course load but he finally had enough to get a small apartment for her near campus.

He called her one day and found out that the senior Hotchner had to be out of town for the next week on business. Hotch went home and convinced his mother to pack her things and leave her husband for good. He had already applied been accepted to another school with a full scholarship but had chosen the college he had previously attended as it was close to home and he could be home in just a little over an hour to check on his mother in case of emergency. His transfer papers were approved and he had already located a two bedroom apartment for him and his mother about half a mile from campus. His best friend went to the new school Hotch was transferring too and had already lined him up a job that started in two weeks. The think that sold Hotch on this being the right move is that it was across the country from the state his father lived in.

Things were going well for Aaron and his mother for the first few months. Hotch convinced his mother to let him hire and attorney in the state where his father lived and two months after the move, the Sr. Hotchner was served with divorce papers. There was no way that Aaron was going to let his mother face that monster again, so he had everything handled through the lawyer. Hotch had been afraid to file charges against his father while his mother was still in the household with him, but not that he had her safely across the country, he went back to the city his father lived in and swore out a complaint. He had plenty of physical evidence as he took pictures of the last time his father beat her and he referred produce years of hospital records that his father had told hospital personnel were "clumsy accidents". His mother even signed a sworn affidavit after he begged her to so he could keep this man from hurting anyone ever again. His father was questioned by the police and arrested. He bailed out of jail the same night as his lawyer convinced the courts that he was a fine, upstanding pillar of the community, said the evidence was circumstantial and that he was not a flight risk as he had deep ties to the community. Everything would have been alright David spat, if someone had never leaked the information of where Aaron and his mother were living. Hotch came home from class one afternoon to change before he went to work and found his mother beaten, bludgeoned to death. His father had tried to make it look like a robbery, but Aaron knew deep in his heart it was his father that killed his mother. He advised the police of the divorce and the pending abuse charges and showed them copies of the photographic evidence. They reclassified the case when the autopsy report came back as they had the physical evidence to make their case. It seems that when Hotch's mother had realized his intent was to kill her, she tried to fight for her life and they were able to obtain skin and blood cells off the body. Evidently she didn't die quick enough as the ME determined the cause of death was strangulation.

Rossi's voice broke when he said that last part and Erin couldn't help but cover her mouth and run to the bathroom, barely making it before she lost the contents of her stomach.

Dave shakily walked over to the bathroom to check on her. She could tell he was barely holding it together himself as she could see his body trembling. She rinsed her mouth out with some water and then she threw her arms around him and just held on as they cried together. Normally neither one of them would have cried in front of the other, but how can you not after hearing something like that and thinking about how much it hurt the one you loved. David was hurting for all his brother went through, knowing he hadn't been able to protect him as he never knew about it until years after Hotch started in the BAU and they had a bad case beat and killed his wife and kids and then spent the next three years kidnapping mothers and sons that fit their profile and beating and killing them. When the BAU was called in it took them a month and a half to catch him. He was still training Hotch as he not only recruited him to the BAU when he found out he had joined the FBI, but requested to be his mentor. No one knew that Rossi had an ulterior motive behind that request; he had found a way to be close to his brother without telling him. That afternoon as they drove back to Quantico Rossi could tell there was something bothering Hotch. Hotch being Hotch, refused to open up about it. After they finished up their paperwork on the case that evening, Hotch ended up at a bar that was popular with the agents. Rossi went to the bar on a hunch that night as his conscious kept nagging him that he needed to get to the bottom of what was going on in Hotch's head.

"I tell you Erin her said" they had moved out of the bathroom and were once again sitting on the bed, I have never seen Hotch like that, not until the thing with Foyet. To be honest with you, I am not as sure if he was that bad even then, as he had jack to look after. But that night, Hotch got rip roaring drunk. He insisted that I leave him alone and even had a few choice words about me and all my antecedents. When I tried to force him to give me his keys he told me to go screw myself and if I didn't like it, I was more than welcome to step out side. When I refused to honor his 'request' he insulted my manhood and ordered another drink. We didn't have to work the next day so I let him drink himself into oblivion. It was either that or knock my own brother's lights out and trust me as drunk as he was, it would have been no contest. I took his keys when he passed out and told the bartender who was a friend of mine that Hotch would pick his car up Monday. He told me it was no sweat and not to worry about it being towed, as he owned the lot. I had ended up getting one of my brothers employees to help me carry Hotch out to my car. Luckily enough I was able to rouse him enough that I was able to get him in the house by the time we got to our destination. When he woke up the next day, He was at Little Creek. To say he wasn't happy was an understatement. While he was sleeping I had the foresight to hide all the alcohol in the trunk of my car. I made him shower and loaned him something to put on while I made him some breakfast and my famous Rossi Hangover remedy. After he showed, and dressed he tried to threaten me into taking him home. He even threatened to walk all the way back home. I of course good naturedly pointed out that the property was 10 acres and since he had never been there and in fact had no ideal where he even was, good luck on finding your way back to civilization. That earned me the famous Hotchner glare that makes some of the most heinous serial killers squirm in their seats. He was quite put out when it didn't seem to work on me. To be honest, it almost did but I kept reminding myself that even though he didn't know it, he was my little brother and it was my job to protect him, whether he wanted me to or not. Another thing that helped me withstand the fearsome look he was giving me was the fact that I knew if I didn't force him to talk about what was eating him up inside, I would lose him to it eventually. There was no way on God's green earth; I was going to let that happen. Since we were at a standoff, I convinced him he might as well take the remedy for his hangover and after that worked on his head and stomach; I was able to get him to eat something. Knowing I had locked all my firearms in the trunk of the car along with the alcohol, and that I had removed the distributor cap off the car so he couldn't hot-wire it and leave, I told Aaron he was welcome to explore the area around the house and enjoy himself.

Aaron refused to even speak to me all day Saturday and Sunday morning. I was beginning to despair about what would happen to him Monday when he got back to work and were faced with a new case or even just working up a profile to send to a police station. After he returned from a walk early Sunday afternoon, I was sitting in the living room reading a book. He sat down and waited for me to look up and then he thanked me for putting up with the way he acted the last few days. I could see he wanted to say more, but something held him back. I told him there was a rule about the cabin that whatever was disclosed with those four walls, never made it past them. Hotch was still hesitant to reveal his inner turmoil to me, I told him that whatever he said to me, wouldn't change how I looked at him and I would remain a secret between us, after all 'us cool guys have to stick together'. That's when he opened up to me and told me the story I just told you. On the drive home, he asked me if I had ever been to the city where he grew up. I was concentrating on the road and still trying to wrap my mind around what he had told me, not to mention convince my self not to go and find the man who raised him and kill him with my bare hands, so I answered the question in the affirmative without thinking about it. He then said something that made me look over at him for a second before I had to look back at the road. He asked me if I wanted to know why he finally made the decision to tell me about his past. Well you know me, I am nothing if not curious so I said yes. He then smirked and said, I remembered you from all those years ago when you said the same thing to me tonight, about us cool guys having to stick together, that you said to me that day in the park. He told me he was surprised he hadn't put two and two together before when I told him my name was David, when he joined the Bureau. Normally I would have been able to think on my feet and avoid giving him and answer in a way to make him think he was wrong about that day, but I was still too in shock from our conversation at the cabin and him actually making the connection between that day and our past meeting. He had me dead to right and he knew it so I had no choice but to admit it was me.

I have never divulged what he said to me that night to anyone until today. If we weren't getting married tomorrow, I wouldn't be telling you this now. I mean I know we have been together again for 10 years and all but Hotch is my brother and I have an obligation to him, which as much as I love you, surpasses the status of girlfriend, partner, lover, significant other. But tomorrow when we take our vows, my obligation to you, as your husband, supersedes my obligation to him. Although I will still have a responsibility to look out for the both of you, as you will have to look out for me, the commitment I make to you tomorrow is forever. I know we have both been married and divorced before but this is the last marriage for either of us and their will be no divorce. It took me long enough to win you back after all those years we were apart and it took even longer for us to get to this point where we are ready to pledge the rest of our lives to each other. I love my brother, but I refuse to bring something as big as the secret of him being my brother into out marriage. I won't let secrets destroy the love we have for each other, never again. Speaking of which, there is one more confession that I owe you and this one is mine.

Erin wondered what David could have to confess after all he had already told her that night. They'd been living together for the last 8 years; he'd even helped her finish raising her kids. She wondered what secret he could possibly have to tell her about that she didn't know. "What is it David?" she asked.

Do you remember the weekend I was supposed to take you to your Cousin LaDonna's wedding and I stood you up. David that was many, many, moons ago. It's dead and buried in our past and we have long since forgiven each other for the things we said to each other when you called to apologize. Why are you bringing it up the night before our wedding?

"Erin, do you remember what my excuse was?" He asked her.

"David that has been so long ago and it is a time I have tried to forget" she responded.

"I will never forget it as that is what led to the end of our relationship the first time. I told you that it had slipped my mind as I got a call from a sick friend that needed my help. You told me that even though we had missed the rehearsal dinner, you had called your cousin and made out excuses and you wanted me to come over then so we could talk about what happened before we have to leave to make it in time for the wedding that night. I could tell by you voice you were ticked at me even though you were glad nothing had happened to me."

"Yeah and now that you mention it, I remember you telling me you couldn't come over or attend the wedding with me, even though you were supposed to supposed to be a groomsman and escort me down the aisle as one of her bridesmaids. I asked you how you could do this to me and my cousin as we were both counting on you, and you gave me some cockamamie story about being out of town and your friend being too sick to lea.." Erin was starting to put two and two together but she didn't want to presume. She needed to hear the words out of David's mouth. If he was about to say what she thinks he is, then, she had made the biggest mistake of her life that day. That was the day she ended her engagement to David and told him she never wanted to see him again. Could she have been that wrong? Was he telling the truth all those years ago? She had thought he was lying to her, especially after he wouldn't tell her the name of the friend or where they were. She had though he was somewhere laying up with another woman. All day that Monday she had avoided him at work. He got called out on a case Monday night and was gone for a month. The day he got back he had cornered her at her desk in the Bull Pen and the only way she could keep him from making a scene right there was to agree to meet him right after work for dinner at their favorite restaurant. Erin showed up, listened to what he had to say but since he still wouldn't tell her who this mysterious woman was, she assumed it was a woman. She told him she didn't believe him and couldn't trust him anymore. They both lost their tempers and said things they should have never said to someone they professed to love and she threw his engagement ring at him, before storming out. He'd broken her heart and at that moment, as much as she loved him - she still hated him.

David had been quiet while she remembered that night. He knew she needed to work some things out for herself. When he saw the look of understanding begin to dawn on her face and then a myriad of emotions cross it, he gave her a few more minutes to contemplate and then he quietly said, "That was the weekend just told you about. It was Hotch that I was at the cabin with. I am so sorry that I couldn't tell you the truth, my love but if I had told you where I was, I know you would have driven up there to confront me. I couldn't tell you I was with Hotch or I would have had to explain, why he was more important than keeping a promise I had made to you. Believe me sweetheart, I didn't mean to stand you up. I was so worried about him that by the time I got him that all I was focusing on was my guilt that something was wrong with my brother and that I hadn't been there for him like I should have been when he was growing up, due to the circumstances. I had a chance to be there for him this time and I didn't want to let him down again, especially when I saw how far gone he was. It was well after midnight by the time I got him to the cabin and settled in the guest bedroom to sleep. After I made sure he was far enough off the edge so that he wouldn't roll off, I came into the living room and sat down with a drink and tried to relax. It was then after my mind settled down, that I remembered our plans for that night and weekend. I felt like a heel. The day you met me for dinner so we could talk, I wanted to tell you so bad. There I was trying to do the right thing by a member of my family and it was costing me the best thing I ever had in my life.

David and Erin took turns apologizing to each other for the next five minutes about not fighting to work their relationship all those years ago. They had loss so much time when they could have been together, instead of marrying other people on the rebound and being miserable. There biggest regret was the fact that her children belonged to someone else due to their foolish pride. In the end, they were even more thankful for fate bringing them back together and giving them another shot at happiness.

Rossi knew they were both emotionally drained but he didn't want this part of his past hanging over their married life. He picked up the story by telling her that after that weekend, it seemed if Hotch and he had formed a tentative bond. As much as I was a loner, I wanted some sort of relationship with him, even if he never knew he was my brother. I wondered what had happened to the letter my dad had written when he was born, that he was supposed to be given on his 18th birthday. It was obvious that he had no ideal that we were related or that he had Rossi blood running through his veins. The poor guy thought that scumbag who raised him was his biological father. He had been with the BAU for almost two years and he worked a case where the Unsub murdered 14 women before he was caught. Hotch methodically worked the case and successfully solved it. During the interrogation, the suspect blamed his abusive childhood for the way he turned out. I will spare you the gruesome details but it really did a number on Hotch's head. He called me and asked could he come over and talk when he got back into town. Erin, I came so close to telling him that night. I hated to see what him thinking he had to be just like that guy, that something had to be wrong on the inside of him too because his father had beat him the same way. He thought it was hereditary and confessed that is one of the reasons he and Hailey didn't have any kids yet, he was scared he would do that to his own child. I tell you Erin, I was angry with the world that night. I blamed his father, our father, his mother; myself that he had gone through so much emotional torment that he would believe he could be a monster inside.

"What stopped you from telling him David?" she wanted to know.

"Believe it or not, fate intervened and the phone rang. Aaron's mother actually kept the letter my father wrote to him. She had cashed the check and a small portion of the money into Savings bonds for him before he was born. She never told the Sr. Hotchner about the letter or the bonds. She'd hidden them in a secret compartment of the China Closet her mother had willed her upon her death, the year before she got pregnant with Hotch. When they'd moved to Europe and her husband wouldn't let her take the China Closet with her, She'd had to move letter and the Bonds before she gave the piece to her sister. Each time they moved after that, she would have to find a new place to hide them and pray her husband would never find them. When Hotch convinced her to leave her husband, she always knew he would find her and kill her one day but she never told Hotch that. After that last beating he had given her before she left him, she knew she'd never survive something like that again. So when she Aaron hired the lawyer to start the divorce on her behalf, she had him add on a retainer to hold onto the letter from my dad, the bonds and a letter she wrote him explaining about his past and why she never told him about his biological father. She begged him not to hate her and swore to him, if she had known what kind of guy Hotchner Sr. would turn into she would have never married him and subjected him to that. She explained why she never left him. He had threatened to kill Aaron if she ever did. It was a chance she wasn't willing to take. She had worried about Aaron confronting him one day and him killing her child, so she made the attorney promise that he would hold onto the letter until she asked for it or if something happened to her, that he would hold onto the letter until the Sr. Hotchner was dead. The attorney kept to their agreement and when her husband was sentenced to prison for her murder he set it up so they would receive call the attorney if they ever released him or he died. That was the call Aaron received that night on his cell phone - telling him his father was dead.

When Aaron was in law school, he got a job clerking for the attorney. When he graduated, he worked for him a few years before Hailey decided she wanted to move to Virginia to be closer to her family. The attorney knew some people in the Prosecutor's office and gave Aaron a glowing recommendation. It didn't take him long to work his way up near the top of the food chain. But like me, my brother is a man of action. Don't get me wrong, he has a heck of a lot more patience than I do, but he still needs to feel like he is stopping evil in it's tracks not just closing the door afterward, even though in some cases, when we get there too late to save a kidnapped victim, that is all we can do.

After Aaron got the call, I knew he had enough on his plate and it was not the time to tell him about our dad. It was late and he was emotionally overwrought, so I convinced him to crash on my couch. We went to work the next morning as usual and Aaron went to meet the attorney during his lunch hour, as they had agreed the night before. He had declined my offer to go with him, telling me he was a big boy and didn't need me holding his hand. I laughed at the deadpan look he had on his face when he said it and he laughed too and through out a "but thanks for listening last night and offering to go today" over his shoulder as he exited my office. While he was gone, I immersed myself in my paperwork as it was Friday night and I wanted to get out there for the weekend when a brief knock sounded on my door. Aaron entered my office and the tick in his jaw and murderous look in his eye let me know that I was in big trouble. The Fact that he called me a SOB was my second clue. I stood up and said now Aaron call down, what is this about and he clocked me with a right hook followed swiftly by a left cross. My head hit the wall with a thunk and he grabbed me by the collar and shook me. I tell you Erin in that moment, I knew I never wanted to be on the wrong side of Hotch's fists again. He called me a coward when I wouldn't fight him back. "How could you not tell me, you're my brother? How long have you known? Did you have a good laugh at my expense when I told you about my father?" He paused for a minute as he thought of something and then he said, you knew that day at the park, didn't you? Gideon had heard the Thump when my head connected with it and made his way over to my office and knocked on the door and asked for permission to come in. Next thing I know before I can even open my mouth to say come in, my office door swings open and you barged in. I barely had time to cover the swollen side of my face."

Laughing now, Erin said I remember that. I was in Jason's office going over a file with him, when we heard the noise and a raised voice. You swore nothing happened and that you just had a terrible toothache. It was an obvious lie. For one thing Hotch still had steam coming out of his ears. For another, the shiner you had was partially showing. Yet you were sticking to your story that Hotch's had been yelling at you because you refused to leave to go see a dentist. When I asked what was the loud thump, we heard, you claimed you stood up to fast and your chair hit the wall.

What was I supposed to do. I couldn't let him get fired over what happened and not just because he's my brother. Aaron was even back them, one of the best minds to even be in the BAU. "And if you knew back then that I was lying, Why did you order Hotch to drive me to the dentist and wait too make sure I saw one?"

"You were in obvious pain when you were talking and I was worried that something was broken. Besides it was obvious that you were protecting him and were blaming yourself for whatever it was that caused him to hit you so I fixed it so he couldn't avoid you and the two of you could talk and clear the air" she said with a shrug.

"Well I guess I owe you one then because even though he vented his spleen and cursed me for everything he could think of and then some, on the way to the dentist office by the time they could squeeze me in for an emergency appointment, my face was completely black and blue and Aaron's conscious kicked in. Of course instead of being able to enjoy the feeling of the nice pain killers they had given me before I left the office, I had to fight to stay awake so I could convince him he wasn't a monster like the man who raised him. By the time I got home, I barely made it to the door and into my room to collapse on the bed. Imagine my surprise when I woke up later that night and an apologetic Aaron was sitting on my sofa. He'd even gone into the kitchen and heated me up a can of soup for dinner, when he heard me stirring around in my bedroom when I woke up. I told him I would accept his apology on one condition. That after dinner he would let me explain why I never told him. He actually did and we stayed up late into the night talking. He told me about the happier time in his childhood when he was younger as he wanted me to know that he did have some memories as he know I felt guilty about not being there for him, even though it wasn't my fault. I told him about my childhood, our dad and the years I spent growing up in Italy before we moved to the states to be closer to him and some of our other relatives.

Erin asked him if Aaron had ever met their dad.

Yes he has. I think the fact that my dad went through so much to see him, without interfering in his life and then tried to find him even though they kept moving around, worked in my dad's favor. They actually have a pretty close relationship. It would probably be even closer if my dad hadn't moved back to Italy the year before Hotch found out about him. Dad was so excited when Jack was born. He actually considered moving back to the states to be neared to his grandson but my uncle Anthony passed and Dad was the only one left to run the family business. Jack calls him papa. When he comes to the states to visit me and he says he is going out with an acquaintance who lives here, he is going to see Hotch and Jack. Hotch has to keep Jack away from any of the team just before, during and just after dad visits for fear of Jack spilling the beans. I remember a few months ago when Hotch took jack to Italy to see Dad for his yearly visit. They were only there for three days but Jack told me stories about him and 'papa' for three weeks after they got back.

Erin tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful. "Come on let's go to bed, sounds like someone needs her beauty sleep David told her. I am sorry; I didn't realize it was so late".

"That's okay David. I am glad you told me. I am also glad you and Aaron were able to work out the problems between you and remain friends, after he got over the initial shock of finding out the two of you are brothers" she said as he lifted back the covers for her to crawl under. It was a good thing they were already dressed for bed when they started the conversation as Erin seriously doubted she would have been able to stay awake long enough to do that tonight if she had to.

"It's a good thing we are not getting married until tomorrow evening as I don't think either one of us will be bright eyed and bushy tailed first thing in the morning since we are getting to bed so late", He told her as he crawled in behind her and wrapped his body around hers. "Just think, this time tomorrow night, you will be Mrs. Erin Rossi" David whispered in her ear before placing a kiss on her hair and saying "Good night, I love you".

"All our dreams are finally coming true. Good night my love", Erin told David as she closed her eyes in blissful slumber. Content to have the women he loves sleeping peacefully in his arms, David quickly followed her into dreamland.


End file.
